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Daniel Macri is a 22 year old West Aussie and quite probably the strongest (and one of the most enormous) people I’ve ever met. He moves his 200 kilogram SM frame around like it’s a yoga matt.

At seventeen, Dan competed in the 2006 “Amateur” Arnold – against at least a dozen professional strongmen besides the amateurs who turned out – and placed 20th for his yoke walk, and notable places in deadlift and squat.

I arrived at headquarters (aka Dan’s house, a little north of Fremantle) a few minutes late, and I think I may have missed some tyre flipping. But I was relieved to find that there was no urgency or rigid rest periods being used here. Max effort required as much rest as you felt you need.

Everybody I met was either a local or international competitor in SM and PL meets, with massive bench figures both raw and with shirts. Two fellows (whose names I have forgotten, so please contact me) were very helpful with advice and tips on the log clean press and PL bench form.

The equipment and props/landscaping was all locally made; the Macri family and their friends have managed to create for Daniel and SMWA’s fledgling herd of strongmen a fully-functioning training centre, in a state where little attention is paid to the sport.

With the exception of one gym called the Muscle Pit, practically no facilities are available for anyone wanting to get into training Strongman. So it’s just lucky that Daniel opens his house to anyone who’s interested, and will take all the time required to discuss every aspect of the sport. He’s choc full of trivia on the World’s Strongest Men, and all his training methods and equip are meticulously on spec with what is used in competition.

Up until today, I had no idea there are specific bars built for benching, and others built for squatting and deadlifting… all with minute differences in length, weight and tensile strength. And my learning didn’t end there. I walked away from today’s experience with a head full of new information.